Welsh Sign Festival....

BSL in Wales....

Iaith Arwyddion Prydain yng Nghymru ...

Make Post Offices More accessible !

Post offices need to make it easier for people with sight and hearing loss to access them, Consumer Focus Wales says.

A third of customers with sight loss who took part in visits reported problems caused by obstacles and trip hazards at the buildings' entrances.  In four of every five visits, there was no working induction loop available for people with hearing problems.   Post Office Ltd said the report was an important piece of research and would be fully considering the findings.

A total of 78 people with sensory loss acting as "mystery shoppers" visited 150 different post offices, with a total of 583 visits in total.  More than a third of volunteers from the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) Cymru and Action on Hearing Loss Cymru found the layout and design of their post office a problem, and had difficulty finding the counter on their first visit.

John Claridge, 56, from Bridgend.

"The thing that I encountered most was the lack of hearing loops in several of the smaller post offices. In some of them there was no loop system at all, in another the staff told me it was kept in the store cupboard and they couldn't get it out, and in another I was told that they would have to charge the loop system up before we could use it and they asked me to come back in half an hour.  "The best experience I had was in a large Crown post office in a city centre, where there was a working loop system - although it was only in particular cashier desks and you had to wait to use them.

"It really highlighted the differences in different post offices and I did find that there is a lot of room for improvement."  The report, Talking Sense, says in almost a quarter of post offices with hearing loops there was no sign advertising that the loop was available, and in two thirds of these cases staff did not attempt to resolve the problem.

However, despite concerns around safety and customer service, nine out of 10 of those who took part in the study praised post office employees for their professionalism.  One volunteer, Sara Johnson from Cardiff, said: "People were helpful, but they did not have the knowledge.  "The layout and lighting were poor, but not the staff. It was not for want of trying, they just did not have the knowledge."

People with sight loss rated their experience with the post office more highly than those with hearing loss.  The report recommended that post office proprietors should ensure good lighting throughout the premises to aid both those with impaired sight and those lip reading.  It called for staff to receive training in identifying and communicating effectively with a customer with sensory loss.

Welsh/Cymraeg


Swyddfeydd post angen i'w gwneud yn haws i bobl sydd â golwg a nam ar eu clyw i gael gafael arnynt, Llais Defnyddwyr Cymru yn ei ddweud.

Mae traean o gwsmeriaid â nam ar eu golwg a fu'n cymryd rhan mewn ymweliadau adroddwyd problemau a achosir gan rhwystrau a pheryglon taith ar fynedfeydd yr adeiladau '. Mewn pedair o bob pum ymweliad, nid oedd unrhyw dolen sain gwaith sydd ar gael i bobl sydd â phroblemau clyw. Dywedodd Swyddfa'r Post Cyf yr adroddiad oedd yn ddarn pwysig o waith ymchwil a byddai'n cael ei ystyried yn llawn y canfyddiadau.

Mae cyfanswm o 78 o bobl sydd wedi colli synhwyrau gweithredu fel "siopwyr dirgel" ymweld â 150 o swyddfeydd post gwahanol, gyda chyfanswm o 583 o ymweliadau i gyd. Mae mwy na thraean o wirfoddolwyr o'r Sefydliad Cenedlaethol Brenhinol y Deillion (RNIB) Cymru a Gweithredu ar y Clyw Colli Cymru o hyd i'r gosodiad a dyluniad eu swyddfa bost yn broblem, ac yn cael anhawster dod o hyd i'r cownter ar eu hymweliad cyntaf.

John Claridge, 56, o Benybont.

"Y peth yr wyf yn dod ar draws y rhan fwyaf oedd y diffyg dolenni clyw mewn sawl un o'r swyddfeydd post llai. Mewn rhai ohonynt nad oedd system ddolen o gwbl, mewn un arall y staff wrthyf ei fod yn cael ei gadw yn y cwpwrdd storio ac maent yn doedd ' t gael allan, ac mewn un arall dywedwyd wrthyf y byddai'n rhaid iddynt godi tâl ar y system dolen i fyny cyn y gallem ei defnyddio ac maent yn gofyn i mi ddod yn ôl mewn hanner awr. "Roedd y profiad gorau a gefais oedd mewn swydd y Goron mawr mewn swyddfa, nghanol y ddinas lle roedd system dolen gweithio - er nad oedd ond ar ddesgiau ariannwr penodol a bu'n rhaid i chi aros i'w defnyddio.

"Mae'n wir yn tynnu sylw at y gwahaniaethau mewn gwahanol swyddfeydd post a wnes i yn gweld bod yna lawer o le i wella." Mae'r adroddiad, Siarad Sense, yn dweud yn bron i chwarter o swyddfeydd post gyda dolenni clywed nad oedd unrhyw arwydd hysbysebu bod y ddolen ar gael, ac nid mewn dwy ran o dair o'r achosion hyn o staff yn ceisio datrys y broblem.

Fodd bynnag, er gwaethaf pryderon ynghylch diogelwch a, gwasanaeth cwsmeriaid naw o bob 10 o'r rhai a gymerodd ran yn yr astudiaeth yn canmol gweithwyr swyddfa bost am eu proffesiynoldeb. Dywedodd un gwirfoddolwr, Sara Johnson o Gaerdydd,: "Mae pobl yn barod i helpu, ond nid oedd ganddynt y wybodaeth." Mae'r cynllun a goleuadau yn wael, ond nid y staff. Nid oedd o eisiau geisio, maent nid yn unig oedd yn cael y wybodaeth. "

Pobl sydd â nam ar eu golwg yn dweud fod eu profiad â'r swyddfa bost yn uwch na'r rhai sy'n drwm eu clyw. Mae'r adroddiad yn argymell y dylai perchnogion swyddfa bost sicrhau golau da drwy gydol y fangre i gynorthwyo y rhai â nam ar eu golwg a rhai sy'n darllen gwefusau. Mae'n galw am staff i dderbyn hyfforddiant o ran nodi a chyfathrebu'n effeithiol â chwsmer â cholled synhwyraidd.

Sian Nominated for Learning Award..

A BRIDGEND woman who overcame profound deafness to pursue her dream of becoming a college lecturer has been nominated for a prestigious learning award.  Mum-of-two Sian Preddy is in the running for a Vocational Qualification Learner of the Year Award after successfully completing an honours degree in education at Bridgend College.

Sian, 37, will now go on to study a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, which will qualify her to teach in further education.  During her foundation degree course, Sian was invited to be a guest lecturer to students preparing for careers in speech and language therapy.  In addition, she frequently helped fellow students to grapple with the complexities of sign language.

Bridgend College principal Mark Jones said: “Sian is an inspiration as she draws attention to all forms of hearing loss. Many hearing impaired people remain within the boundaries of their group but Sian has broken down the barriers and been a bridge between the hearing and non-hearing world – a rare skill.”

Sian praised the support she has enjoyed at Bridgend College: “I was once told as a child that I would never achieve much in education but I am proof that, with the correct support, hearing impaired people can achieve.”  Sian has been named on a shortlist of five nominees for the award, which will be announced at a high-profile awards ceremony in the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff on VQ Day June 20.

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Welsh/Cymraeg


Mae menyw BRIDGEND a drechodd byddardod llwyr i fynd ar drywydd ei freuddwyd o fod yn ddarlithydd coleg wedi cael ei henwebu ar gyfer gwobr fawreddog dysgu. Mam i ddau o Sian Preddy yn y ras ar gyfer Cymhwyster Galwedigaethol Dysgwr y Flwyddyn ar ôl cwblhau gradd anrhydedd mewn addysg yng Ngholeg Penybont.

Bydd Sian, 37, yn awr yn mynd ymlaen i astudio Tystysgrif Addysg i Raddedigion, a fydd yn gymwys iddi i addysgu mewn addysg bellach. Yn ystod ei gwrs gradd sylfaen, Sian ei wahodd i fod yn ddarlithydd gwadd i fyfyrwyr paratoi ar gyfer gyrfa mewn therapi lleferydd ac iaith. Yn ogystal, mae'n aml yn cyd-fyfyrwyr helpu mynd i'r afael â chymhlethdodau iaith arwyddion.

Dywedodd Coleg Penybont prif Mark Jones: "Mae Sian yn ysbrydoliaeth wrth iddi yn tynnu sylw at bob math o golli clyw. Bobl drwm eu clyw Mae llawer o aros o fewn y ffiniau eu grŵp ond Sian wedi torri i lawr y rhwystrau a bod yn bont rhwng y gwrandawiad ac nad ydynt yn clywed byd -. Sgil prin "

Sian yn canmol y gefnogaeth mae hi wedi mwynhau yng Ngholeg Penybont: "Roeddwn yn gwybod unwaith fel plentyn na fyddwn byth yn cyflawni llawer mewn addysg ond yr wyf yn brawf bod, gyda chefnogaeth cywir, gall pobl â nam ar eu clyw yn eu cyflawni." Sian wedi cael ei enwi ar rhestr fer o bum enwebiadau ar gyfer y wobr, a fydd yn cael eu cyhoeddi mewn seremoni wobrwyo proffil uchel yn yr Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru, Caerdydd ar Diwrnod VQ 20 Mehefin.

Background:  Sian Says "I decided to come to Bridgend College for two reasons. The first being that is was extremely local and offered the facilities that appealed to me, and the second was that I knew that the specialist support for deaf people was an outstanding service which I had accessed previously.  The whole team ranging from the lecturer, interpreter and the specialist support tutor offered me a service which I feel was second to none.


At present I am a specialist support officer for the Hearing Impaired Service in Bridgend.  I have previously enrolled on other courses at Bridgend College and feel that after completing this current course I have learnt a great deal.  I have extended my knowledge within education and developed my language skills to what was required.  I have learnt about relevant policies and practices regarding educational issues and developed my self confidence enormously.  The highlight for me is being treated as an equal and meeting new people and recently being awarded my cap and gown when I achieved my BA (Hons) in Education."

Families Still carrying Welsh Deaf Access to Health

As the NHS ignores deaf rights and the equality laws.  One in five people in Wales have some form of sensory loss. Many are heavy users of health care services, with a significant percentage being older people with other health conditions, and yet their experiences of accessing services are often poor, leading to frustration at best and poorer health outcomes and clinical risk at worst.

In recognition of this, the Welsh Government established a steering group of health professionals and service users to look at the issue. Their final report and recommendations are being launched by the Health Minister today.

Amy Claridge, a hearing 19 year old with a Deaf mother and hard of hearing father, explains why the issue is so important:

“Poor communication between the NHS and those with a sensory loss comes at a high cost and a high risk. 24 per cent of deaf patients have missed a medical appointment due to communication problems, at a cost to the Welsh Government of £1m a year. In today’s modern society, fascinated with e-mails and texting, the fact that Deaf people have ask friends to call on their behalf to book, and even to interpret, these appointments is simply ridiculous. Recently, I was told that if my mother wanted an interpreter (an NHS legal requirement) she would have to wait 6 weeks (untrue) as there are only 12 interpreters in Wales (untrue). This was after I was dissuaded from doing so repeatedly by both the doctor and the secretary due to the cost implication on their surgery.

“In my family my father, grandmother and I are there to support my mum and interpret, but not all Deaf people have this luxury. I personally know a Deaf man who lives alone, with no family nearby, who has to get by writing out notes to the doctor – wasting not only his time, but NHS time too. Also, there are families where both parents are Deaf and the responsibility of interpreting can rest solely on the young child. This may not be a problem when the parent has a cold, but when I hear about the family member who had to interpret to their loved one that they had cancer, I can’t even contemplate how this might feel.

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Welsh/Cymraeg


Wrth i'r GIG yn anwybyddu hawliau pobl fyddar a'r deddfau cydraddoldeb. Mae un o bob pump o bobl yng Nghymru yn cael rhyw fath o golled synhwyraidd. Mae llawer ohonynt yn ddefnyddwyr mawr o wasanaethau gofal iechyd, gyda chanran sylweddol bod pobl hŷn sydd â chyflyrau iechyd eraill, ac eto eu profiadau o wasanaethau gael mynediad yn aml yn wael, gan arwain at rwystredigaeth ar y gorau a chanlyniadau iechyd gwael a risg glinigol ar y gwaethaf.

I gydnabod hyn, mae Llywodraeth Cymru sefydlu grŵp llywio o weithwyr iechyd proffesiynol a defnyddwyr gwasanaeth i edrych ar y mater. Eu hadroddiad terfynol a'r argymhellion yn cael eu lansio gan y Gweinidog Iechyd heddiw.

Amy Claridge, gwrandawiad 19 oed gyda mam Fyddar a thrwm eu clyw dad, yn esbonio pam fod y mater yn un mor bwysig:

"Mae cyfathrebu gwael rhwng y GIG a'r rhai sydd â nam synhwyraidd yn dod ar gost uchel a risg uchel. 24 y cant o gleifion byddar wedi colli apwyntiad meddygol oherwydd problemau cyfathrebu, ar gost i Lywodraeth Cymru o £ 1m y flwyddyn. Yn y gymdeithas heddiw fodern, cyfareddu gyda e-bost a negeseuon testun, y ffaith bod pobl Fyddar wedi gofyn i ffrindiau i alw ar eu rhan i lyfr, a hyd yn oed i ddehongli, y penodiadau hyn yn syml chwerthinllyd. Yn ddiweddar, dywedwyd wrthyf fod os bydd fy mam eisiau cyfieithydd (yn ofyniad cyfreithiol GIG) byddai'n rhaid i chi aros 6 wythnos (anghywir) gan nad oes dim ond 12 cyfieithwyr ar y pryd yng Nghymru (anghywir). Roedd hyn ar ôl roeddwn yn perswadio i beidio gwneud hynny dro ar ôl tro gan y meddyg a'r ysgrifennydd oherwydd y goblygiadau o ran cost ar eu llawdriniaeth.

"Yn fy teulu fy nhad, mam-gu a minnau yno i gefnogi fy mam a dehongli, ond nid pob gan bobl fyddar moethus hwn. Yn bersonol, yn gwybod yn ddyn byddar sy'n byw yn unig, heb unrhyw deulu gerllaw, sydd i gael drwy ysgrifennu nodiadau allan at y meddyg - nid yn unig yn gwastraffu ei amser, ond GIG amser hefyd. Hefyd, mae teuluoedd lle mae'r ddau riant yn Fyddar a gall y cyfrifoldeb o ddehongli orffwys yn unig ar y plentyn ifanc. Efallai na fydd hyn fod yn broblem pan fydd y rhiant yn cael oer, ond pan fyddaf yn clywed am yr aelod o'r teulu a oedd yn gorfod dehongli i eu hanwylyd bod ganddynt ganser, ni allaf hyd yn oed ystyried sut y gallai hyn teimlo.

Zip it ! for the deaf.

Over 100 students from the Tonypandy College took part in a sponsored silence on Thursday 24th May in aid of “ Action on Hearing Loss”. Young people from across the year groups took part in a 20 minute sponsored silence raising well over £500.00 for this very deserving charity.

The event was organised by Amy Oliver, Yr12, as part of her Welsh Baccalaureate qualification but also to support a charity that is close to her heart as both her parents are deaf. This Cardiff based charity has helped Amy and her family by providing specialist lighting and alarms. Amy has become a regular volunteer at the office Cathedral road and would like to become a sign language interpreter.

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Welsh/Cymraeg


Mae dros 100 o fyfyrwyr o Goleg yn cymryd rhan mewn tawelwch noddedig ar ddydd Iau 24ain Mai er budd o "Gweithredu ar y Clyw Colli". Mae pobl ifanc o bob rhan o'r grwpiau blwyddyn yn cymryd rhan mewn tawelwch noddedig 20 munud godi ymhell dros £ 500.00 ar gyfer yr elusen deilwng iawn.

Trefnwyd y digwyddiad gan Amy Oliver, Mlwyddyn 12, fel rhan o'i cymhwyster Bagloriaeth Cymru ond hefyd i gefnogi elusen sy'n agos at ei chalon fel y ddau ei rhieni yn fyddar. Mae'r elusen hon o Gaerdydd wedi helpu Amy a'i theulu trwy ddarparu goleuadau arbenigol a larymau. Amy wedi dod yn wirfoddolwr rheolaidd yn yr Eglwys Gadeiriol swyddfa ffordd ac os hoffech ddod yn dehonglydd iaith arwyddion.